SARS infection control in Taiwan: investigation of nurses' professional obligation

This exploratory, cross-sectional, quantitative study investigated the relationship among hospital nurses' willingness to provide care for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) patients, their attitudes toward SARS infection control measures, and nurses' health status and demographic characteristics. This project was conducted from May 6 to 12, 2003. A total of 126 nurses working in hospitals participated in this study. A conceptual model was developed, and the author designed a questionnaire to test this model. The developed model explained 32% of the variance in nurses' willingness to provide care for SARS patients. Nurses' levels of agreement with general SARS infection control measures, self-treatment of relief of fever and cough, necessity to close Hoping and Jenchi hospitals, nurses' physical health status, and holding a bachelor's degree were statistically significant predictors of nurses' willingness to care for SARS patients. Based on these findings, suggestions and study limitations are discussed.     

The 2003 SARS outbreak: global challenges and innovative infection control measures

In early 2003, the global infection control community faced a great challenge, sudden acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The rapid spread of SARS, its capacity to infect health care workers, and its many unknown features in the early days of the outbreak meant that health care workers were unsure of the most effective methods of infection control to prevent disease transmission. These conditions made designing appropriate, effective and standard infection control responses difficult. Innovation was necessary. This article provides a brief overview of global challenges in infection control and SARS. The author reports field observations and describes five selected examples of highly innovative, SARS-related infection control practices observed in three affected countries during the height of the 2003 outbreak. These examples relate to risk assessment, patient segregation, strategies to limit access to clinical areas, health care worker protection, and efforts to promote public confidence. Many of these strategies could be considered for use in the post-2003 SARS era, especially in preparation for an influenza or Avian influenza pandemic.     

在SARS流行期间控制呼吸科病房医院内感染的举措

目的 :探讨在SARS流行期间有效控制呼吸科病房医院内感染的举措。方法 :比较分析SARS流行期间呼吸科住院患者发生医院内感染的感染率。结果 :SARS前后呼吸科住院患者发生医院内感染率差异有显著性 (P <0 0 1)。结论 :采取控制呼吸科病房医院内感染的有效措施 ,能降低医院内感染率。     

Student nurses' attitudes towards adolescents and their care in hospital

The aim of this study was to explore nursing students' attitudes towards adolescents and their care in hospital. A questionnaire containing a series of open-ended questions was emailed to a sample of 50 child branch degree-level students in their second, third or fourth year at a West Midlands university; 14 (28 per cent) responded. It was found that the students had a good knowledge of young people and of their needs while in hospital. They did not report strong negative attitudes towards adolescents but suggested that a number of factors affected their attitudes towards nursing young people, including media reports and the attitudes of mentors. Most of the students expressed a preference for working with younger children, partly because the students lacked experience and confidence, and partly because of a lack of age-appropriate resources in ward areas, which made caring for adolescents more challenging. It was concluded that more could be done to improve student exposure to adolescent patients and that inadequate inpatient facilities, rather than staff attitudes and knowledge, may prevent some young people receiving good quality care in hospital.     

Nurses' and doctors' attitudes towards suicidal behaviour in young people

This paper presents an exploratory study performed to identify the attitudes towards suicidal behaviour in young people, amongst nurses (and nursing lecturers), and doctors working in in-patient medical and mental health care settings. The Suicide Opinion Questionnaire (SOQ) was administered to 59 participants. Responses were scored using eight clinical scales, and tested by using a Kruskal-Wallis one way analysis of variance. An Independent Sample t-test was used to analyse gender differences. Qualitative interviews were conducted in a sample of respondents. SOQ findings revealed no overall significant differences in the relevant groups of nurses and doctors, with the exception of gender and the clinical scale relating to a 'Cry for Help'. The focused interviews generated five categories relating to suicidal behaviour and young people. Nurses and doctors working in these areas possess a range of influential perceptions of suicidal behaviour and need to be considered in the contexts of care and treatment of young people.     

SARS流行期对血液透析患者实施健康保护的做法

总结严重急性呼吸综合征 (severeacuterespiratorysyndrome ,SARS)流行期对血液透析患者实施健康保护的做法。详细介绍了做好患者心理护理 ,加强血液透析室消毒管理制度 ,防止院内交叉感染 ,对患者进行健康教育指导 ,个体防护、家庭防护等方面的护理经验     

SARS流行期专科医院护理存在的问题及对策

我院是一所结核病防治专科医院,主要收治呼吸道传染病。在2 0 0 3年3月—6月太原地区暴发SARS后成为市政府首选的收治医院之一,太原地区SARS病人半数以上收治在我院,护理部作为医院的主要管理部门,在预防和控制SARS中发挥了重要作用。1　临床资料　　我院从2 0 0 3年3月8日—6月2 5日共收治SARS病人160例,其中疑似病人45例,确诊病人115例,死亡3例( 1.88% ) ,治愈出院112例( 97.3 9% ) ,SARS流行期间,我院除一名医生感染后治愈外在本院住院的其他病人均未感染SARS。2　护理存在的主要问题2 .1　护理人力资源不足2 .1.1　护理人员总…     

后SARS护理工作的加强与完善

笔报道后SAPS护理工作的加强与完善措施。主要有各种应激机制的建立，有助于突发事件的处理；预防措施的实施，增强了普遍预防的观念；病区管理的加强，严格了陪伴探视制度；隔离区患心理、康复护理工作的实施，使整体护理观得到进一步深入；感染监测措施的落实，强化了消毒隔离工作；信息的积极作用，使得获取情报更加及时全面。这些措施将进一步促进护     

Nurses' knowledge and attitudes about antibiotic therapy in critical care.

PURPOSE: To assess critical care nurses' knowledge about antibiotic use in critical care settings, and attitudes concerning the role of the nurse in monitoring response to and appropriate use of antibiotic therapy. METHOD: 90 critical care nurses from 6 adult critical care units at a 780-bed academic, health sciences centre, completed an investigator-developed survey about their knowledge of antibiotic use and their attitudes concerning the role of the nurse. RESULTS: The majority of respondents worked full time (83%) and were BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) prepared (62%), with an average of 9 years' nursing experience and 7 years' experience in intensive care. Using a 100-mm visual analog scale, mean scores on knowledge and comfort with: (1) interpreting culture and sensitivity; (2) white blood cell (WBC) data; and (3) discussing results and therapy with physicians were all less than 50 mm. However, the mean score for nurses' belief of responsibility related to this collaborative role was 76. A knowledge quiz of lab interpretation and antibiotic therapy revealed a mean score of 53.8%. Beliefs about roles were correlated with comfort in discussing therapies with physicians rather than with knowledge. Although nurses value the collaborative surveillance role, they may lack the knowledge and confidence to enact it.     

SARS: epidemiology,clinical presentation,management, and infection control measures

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a recently recognized febrile respiratory illness that first appeared in southern China in November 2002, has since spread to several countries, and has resulted in more than 8000 cases and more than 750 deaths. The disease has been etiologically linked to a novel coronavirus that has been named the SARS-associated coronavirus. It appears to be spread primarily by large droplet transmission. There is no specific therapy, and management consists of supportive care. This article summarizes currently available information regarding the epidemiology, clinical features, etiologic agent, and modes of transmission of the disease, as well as infection control measures appropriate to contain SARS.     

Nurses' attitudes to the extension and expansion of their clinical roles

Nurses are increasingly being asked to extend or expand their traditional roles, often for reasons other than their own professional development. This study, across three specialties in one hospital, examines whether or not nurses view such change in a positive light.     

Nurses' attitudes and perceptions of pain assessment in neonatal intensive care

Scand J Caring Sci; 2010; 24; 49–55
Nurses' attitudes and perceptions of pain assessment in neonatal intensive care
Background:  Pain assessment of premature infants continue to be ineffective. The problem may be partly because of misconceptions or lack of knowledge in the assessment of pain in children.
Aims:  This paper reports a study to describe nurses' attitudes towards and perceptions of pain assessment in neonatal intensive care and the demographic factors related to these attitudes and perceptions of pain.
Methods:  The participants consisted of 257 Finnish nurses who were recruited from all five of the country's university hospitals caring for the premature infants receiving intensive care or monitoring. We collected data by using a Likert-type questionnaire in spring 2006. The response rate was 71% from the represented population.
Findings:  Almost all (97%) of the nurses agreed that pain assessment in premature infants is important. However, over half (60%) of the respondents agreed that they could assess the premature infants pain reliably without pain scores. The respondents' perceptions of the premature infants' ability to sense and express pain indicated rather good knowledge of the topic. Nevertheless, one-fourth of the participants was unaware that a premature infant could be more sensitive in sensing pain than a full term counterpart. Education, work experience and the working unit were the demographic factors that were significantly related to the respondents' attitudes and perceptions.
Conclusions:  On average nurses' attitudes were positive towards the pain assessment in neonatal intensive care. However, there were some gaps in the knowledge concerning the respondents' perceptions of the items, which is a challenge to nursing and nursing education.     

Nurses' knowledge of and attitudes towards sexuality and the relationship of these with nursing practice

Issues concerning sex and sexuality are relevant to nursing practice The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between knowledge of and attitude towards sexuality, and nursing practice Nursing practice in this case was defined as the discussion of sexuality with the patient, with particular reference to taking a sexual history on admission to the ward A multi-choice questionnaire with sections establishing demographic details and nursing practice, and including the Sex, Knowledge and Attitude Test (SKAT), was administered to 357 registered general nurses (RGNs) Results show a relationship between knowledge and attitude but no relationship between either of these and the nursing practice scale However, a slight but significant correlation between receiving teaching about sexual history taking and questioning patients about sexuality on admission suggests that nursing practice and knowledge are weakly related There is evidence that factors other than those within the scope of this study influence all three independent variables, and these are discussed The implications of the study suggest the need for an improvement in nurse education regarding sexuality at all stages of training